Knotter device



sept. 7, 1926.

E. E. BOYCE KNOTTER `DEVICE Filedv May 6, 1924 2' Sheets-Shea*u l gnlilllll Sept. 7, 1926.

E. E. BoYcE KNOTTER DEVICE Filed May e, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet v INVENTOR Patented Sept.` 7, 1926.

UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFIJCE.

E BOYCE, 0F CHARLOTT, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB TO MILL DEVICES COMPANY, OI DURHAM, NORTH CACEOLINA, A. CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

xNo'r'rna nEvIcE.

apjnoation nica my s,

My invention relates to an improvement "in knotters, and with respect to its more specific features, to machines for forming .weavers knots. i

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved connection between the means for positionin the strands with relation to the tying bi and thec'ommon op- ,erating means for the said positioning means and the bill.

In knotters of the character forming the subject matter of application of Britton E. Byrd, Serial No. 538,889, filed February 211, 1922, the strands to be knotted are mechanically positioned with relation to the tying bill, prior to the operation thereof, and a commonrmeans is provided to operate the bill and the positioning means in sequence. The connection, between the positioning means and the common operating means is maintained throughout the operation of the bill, and such connection is effective in reverse movement of the bill, to loosen the positioning means, which during the operation of the bill act as tensioning means for the strands. y

In the present invention the connection is such that the positioning means is released from the operatin mechanism prior to the operation of the bfi and is positively locked from movement reversely until the bill is in its normal inoperative position.I

In the drawings, forming a part hereof: vFig. 1 is 'a side view ofthe improved I knotter.

Fig. 2 is a front view.

Figs.. 3, 4 and5 are side views with the near frame plate removed, showing the different positions of the parts during the formation of a knot.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and -10 are enlar ed perspective views of the knotf@ tying an strand positioning means, showing the several steps in the operation of t ing theweavers knot.

In the present em odiment-of the invention, the improved knotter comprises a suitable frame composed of side plates 10 and 11, which are connected toget er in spaced relation, ,by screws 12 and 13, and spacing members'jlto be described. The screw 13 con 1924. serial No. 111,401.

hand, and a strap 15 is connected with the ends of the handle member for engaging the back of the hand to hold the device in place.

One of the s acin members is a substantially U-shape brac et having arms 16 and 17, whichextend between the plates 10 .and 11. The arm 17 has lugs 18, `which engage slots in the plates 10 and 11 to prevent displacement of the spacing memberyand the said arm forms a front bearing for the tying bill shaft, to be described. The rear bearing is in a housing plate 19, arranged between the plates 10 and 11 at the rear thereof and closing the s ace between the plates at this point. The ousin plate has laterally extending lugs 20, wich engage slots in the plates 10 and 11 to prevent displacement thereof.

The tyingbill includes a shaft 21 which is journalled in the arm 17 of the U-shaped bracket, and is supported at its rear end by a, screw 22 threaded through the housing plate 19. The rear end of the shaft 21 vis pointed, and engages an axial recess in the screw 22, and the movement of the shaft toward the U-shaped bracket is limited by al collar 23 rigid on the shaft. The screw 22 i is held in adjusted position by a lock nut 24, and that portion of the shaft between the pointed end and the collar 23 is flat-tened, as shown, and the intermediate portion thereof is helical.

' The tying bill comprises a clamping bill 25, a cutting bill spring 26 and an intermediate clamping and shearing jaw 27, the

said jaw being pivoted between the bill and `Mechanism is provided at each side of i the bill for supporting a pair of strands to be knotted in proper relation with respect to tli'ebill. Each of the plates 10 and 11 is f will deeply notched at its front end, and on the upper edge, to form in each plate a pair of seats for the two strands. When the strands are to be knotted, they are laid yin the seats, extending transversely of the frame, and with one strand on each side of pecially, it will be noticed that the extrem-- ity of each plate'lO and 11 at the front thereof, is offset outwardly, 1and the links 34' and 35 pass through slots 1n the connections between the offset portions and the -bodies of the plates. The rear end lof each link is thus on the outer face ofthe adjacent plate, while the rocking members and the front ends of the links are on the inner faces of the plates. f

The ends of the links are connected by a shaft or rod 36 which passes throu h slots 37 in the plates, and by means of t 'srod or shaft, the links are connected with radial arms-38 on a shaft 39, journalled between the plates 10 and 11, and near the top of the frame. These arms 38 are rigid with the shaft, and it will be evident that when the shaft is rocked the links will be reciprocated -torock the rocking members. Each' link has an upstanding finger 40 for the link 34, and 40a for the link 35 adjacent to the notch of the side plate, and at the inner side thereof, and the said to engage the inner strand resting in the notch seats to move said strand outwardly beneath the outer strand, at the same time that the said outer strand is moved inwardly. The finger 40B is notched on its outer face, as shown' at 40b to prevent the strand slipping over the linger during the outward movement thereof.

The bill is rotated by means of 'a lever p1voted on the screw 13, before mentioned. The upper end of the lever is forked, and the arms 42 and 43 of the fork extend on opposite sides of the shaft 21, loefore mentioned. The arms are s aced a less distance than the width of the attened shaft, and it will be obvious that when the lever 'is swung on the screw 13, the arms will be moved longitudinally'of the shaft, and

cause the shaft to be rotated .through their engagement with the helical portion l thereof.4 l

The mechanism' :for positioning the fingers are positioned strands with relation to 'the tying bill prior at tothe operation thereof, constituted by the rocking members and the links, 1s operated through la cam 44 rigid withthe arm 42 of the lever 4'1. This cam as shown extends forwardly from the lever, and is deep- 1y notched near its forward end, on its upper edge, as shown at 45, and in front of the notch the cam is extended upwardly to form anose 46 for engaging the shaft 36 before mentioned, when the lever is swung to move the fork arms rearwardly. The forward end of the notch 45 is so contoured that when the fork arms move rearwardly, the shaft 36 will be moved rearwardly in the slots 37, to restore the positioning means for the strands to the normal position shown in Fig. 1. The upper edge of the cam 44 be-L hind the notch 45 is arc-shaped, and is concentric with the screw 13. The radius of the arc-shaped edge is suoli thatl whilethe comes into register therewith, at which time 9.0 the nose 46 will engage the shaft 'and will -Y constrain it to move into the notch. lhe lever 41' is returned to the normal position, shown in Fig. 3,v by means of a spring 47 encircling the screw 13, engaging at one end o5 the frameand at the other end the lever.

With the parts in the position of Fig.

3, and with the two strands lying in the notches of the plates' 10 and 11, Aand on op- -posite sides of the tying bill, when the lever 41 is moved toward the handle 14, the shaft 36 will first be moved forwardly in the slots 37 to the position 'of Fig. 4. The rear wall of the -notch 45 is so contoured, that this movement of the shaft will result from the swing of the cam. At this moment the shaft .passes out of the notch and onto the arcshaped upper edge of the cain. During the further movement of the lever 41 to o erate the tying bill, the shaft 36 will be positively 110 locked in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by the cam. The positioning means is in effect disconnected from the operating means therefor, that is the lever 41, during the entire operation of the tying bill,- and is not again connected with the lever, until the parts are moving into the position of Fig. 4 ony the return movement of the lever. At lthe moment when the return vmovement of the tying bill is complete', the shaft will 120 be engaged by the nose 46 and fwill be again connected with the lever 41."

The arrangementv of the helicalportion of thel shaft 21 is such thatv the fork arms of` the lever 4l may move for a Cert-ainfdistanee 1,25 from rest position, without 'e'ecting'a io tative movement of the tying bill. Thismovement is of sufficient extent to permity the before rotative movement is imparted lever to operate the positioning means 'at the commencement of a knotting operation to the bill. k

The operation of the mechanism just described is asfollows: In order to knot the strands, they arellaid alongside each other in the\holder's, that is the notches, of the plates 10-11. The lever 41 is now swung on its pivotal connection 13, the cams swing downward toward| the position of Fig. 4 forcingthe shaft 36 to the front ends of the slots 37, and moving the links 34 and 35 longitudinally. The fingers 40 of the said links engage the inner strand a, and push the same outwardly. At the 4same moment the lrocking members engage the outer strand a1 and lift it over to the inner side of the inner strand, Fig. 7. The strands are thus crossed on opposite sides of the bill and at the completion of the crossing movement the rocking members and the links which lightly clamp the strands between them, act as tensioning members for the strands. Further movement ofthe lever 41 rotates the tying bill, which in its rotation connect-s the two strands with a weavers knot, Fig. 10, an intermediate formation being shown in Fig. 8. y Y

The blade 27 of the tying bill cuts one of the strands, and the other is cut by an aux"- iliary blade 48 carried by an arm 47 journalled on the shaft 39 before mentioned. This arm depends in'front of the arm 16 of the U-shaped bracket at the right of the tying bill, and the blade is on the opposite side of the arm from the tying bill. A cam arm, composed of portions 52 and 53, is provided for operating the arm 47, and the said portions, which extend on-opposite sides of the shaft 39, are rigid with the arm 47. The fork arm 43 of the lever 41 has a roller engaging the under edgesof the portions 52 and 53 whenthe lever 41 is rocked. The arm 52 Vis "so arranged that while the roller lis in engagement therewith, the arm 47 is in the position of Fig. 4. When, however, the roller engages the portion 53 of the cam arm, the arm 47 is abruptly rocked into the position of Fig. 5, lifting the blade into engagement with the other strand, and severlng the same.

The knot is now looselytied, and it must be4 stripped from the bill to complete the formation thereof and strained to tighten the knot. The stripping and stralning mechanisml is carried by the arm 47 and comprises a stirrup 51, one of the arms of which is connectedto the depending ortion of the arm 47. A screw 49 passes t rough the stirrup arm and through the upper end of the blade 48, the said blade being betweenthe stirrup arm and the arm 47. The blade and the stirrup arm have a series of from the bill.

registering openings extending transversely -the free arm thereof is at the opposite side of the bill from the arm 47. When the arm 47 is swung upward, the blade cuts the uncut remaining strand, and the free arm of the stirrup engages the strands on the other side of the bill, stripping the knot from the bill, and straining the knot to tighten the same. At this time the strand which has been cut by the tying bill is clamped between the jaws, and the stripping of the knot from the bill draws the knot tight before the end of the strand is pulled The free arm' of the stirrup is notched, asshown at 55, to prevent slipping of the threads therefrom during the stripping operation. e

In order to prevent' catchingof the strands in the operating parts of the mechanism a shield plate 54 is arranged on the plate 11, extending from behind the shaft 39, to the beginning of the oll'set portion of the said plate.

' lVhile the invention is shown in a preferred form, it will be apparent that changes and modifi-cations may be made in the structure disclosed, Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a device of the class described, a

and the bill in sequence, said means 're-.j

leased from the vrocking members during the operation of the bill.

2. In a device of the vclass described, a tylng bill, rocking members to position the strands for knotting prior to the operation of the bill, means to operate the members and the bill inN sequence, said means released from the rocking members during the operation of the bill, and means con.- trolled by the operatin ymeans to positively lock the rocking mem ers from movement during the operation of the bill.

3. In a weavers knot tying mechanism, in combination with a rotary tyin bill and mechanism for crossing the strantgls on opposite sides of the bill, saidmechanism including a laterally movable shaft, means for moving the shaft in one direction, and for rotatin an oscillata le cam having a notch normalthe bill in sequence, including' 1y engaged by the shaft and out of which means to engage the shaft. and return it it is movedrto operate the strand crossing to the notch at the end of the oscillation of mechanism at -the beginning of the oscillathe cam in the other direction. 10 tion of the cam n one direction, and a con`- Signed at Charlotte, in the county of 5 centric portion for engagement by the shaft Mecklenburg, and State of North Carolina when out of the notch to lock the crossing this third day of May A. D. 1924. mechanism from movement, the cam having ERSKINE EBENEZER BOYCE. 

